Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth. In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.
We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1985, the year I wrapped up fifth grade, moved to sixth grade, did the Super Bowl Shuffle, and turned 11. 31 songs of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only fifteen of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.
#97: Don Henley – All She Wants to Do Is Dance
iTunes stats: N/A
The sixth solo single from the Eagles drummer peaked at #9 on the Hot 100.
#92: Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA
iTunes stats: 15 plays
Ranked as the 275th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone, the track broke the top ten, hitting #9 in January of 1985.
#88: David Lee Roth – California Girls
iTunes stats: 22 plays
Roth’s first solo single after leaving Van Halen, this version matched the original by the Beach Boys, topping out at #3.
#75: Katrina and the Waves – Walking on Sunshine
iTunes stats: 14 plays
Hitting #9 on the Hot 100 in 1985, the song was briefly banned in the southern US after Hurrican Katrina in 2005.
#74: Bryan Adams – Summer of ’69
iTunes stats: N/A
Peaking at #5 on the charts, the song was ranked at #70 on Blender’s list “The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born” in 2005
#67: Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days
iTunes stats: 14 plays
The fifth of a record-tying seven singles from the Born in the USA album to hit the top five, it stalled out at #5 in the summer of 1985.
#61: Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F
iTunes stats: 18 plays
The instrumental theme to Beverly Hills Cop, the track reached #3 on the Hot 100.
#58: Madonna – Material Girl
iTunes stats: N/A
Spending two weeks at #2, the second single from Like a Virgin gave Madonna two simultaneous top five hits.
#57: Tina Turner – We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
iTunes stats: N/A
Turner peaked at #2 with this hit from the soundtrack to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which also earned her a Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
#56: Animotion – Obsession
iTunes stats: 16 plays
The band’s first single reached #6 on the Hot 100.
#53: Don Henley – The Boys of Summer
iTunes stats: N/A
The track, which earned Henley a Grammy in 1986, hit #5 on the Hot 100 and topped the Top Rock Tracks chart for five weeks.
#51: Prince & the Revolution – Raspberry Beret
iTunes stats: 5 plays
Peaking at #2 in 1985, the song re-entered the Hot 100 at #33 in 2016 following Prince’s death.
#45: Phil Collins – Suddudio
iTunes stats: N/A
The lead track from Collins’ third solo album, it hit #1 in July of 1985.
#38: The Pointer Sisters – Neutron Dance
iTunes stats: N/A
Originally featured on the group’s 1983 album Break Out, it received a second life on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, peaking at #6.
#23: Whitney Houston – Saving All My Love for You
iTunes stats: N/A
Covered by Houston for her debut album, it became her first #1 single, spending a single week atop the charts.
#21: Tears for Fears – Shout
iTunes stats: N/A
The second single from the band’s second album, it spent three weeks on top of the charts.
#20: USA for Africa – We Are the World
iTunes stats: N/A
Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, the charity single spent a month atop the Hot 100.
#19: Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On
iTunes stats: 20 plays
Yet another track from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, Frey was paid $15k to record the track that peaked at #2.
#18: John Parr – St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)
iTunes stats: 19 plays
The main theme from St. Elmo’s Fire, it spent two weeks at #1 in September of 1985.
#16: Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
iTunes stats: 19 plays
Inspired by and featured in The Breakfast Club, it became the group’s biggest US hit, reaching #1 in May.
#15: Huey Lewis and the News – The Power of Love
iTunes stats: 24 plays
The group notched their first #1 hit with this track featured in Back to the Future.
#14: Starship – We Built This City
iTunes stats: 25 plays
The first single from the group that sprung from the ashes of Jefferson Starship (and Jefferson Airplane before that) reached the top of the charts.
#11: Paul Young – Everytime You Go Away
iTunes stats: N/A
Young hit #1 in July of 1985 with this cover of a Hall & Oates tune.
#10: a-Ha – Take On Me
iTunes stats: 23 plays
Bolstered by its innovative video, the track hit #1 in mid-October and spent a total of 27 weeks on the chart.
#9: Madonna – Crazy for You
iTunes stats: N/A
Recorded for the Vision Quest soundtrack, the song became Madonna’s second #1 hit and earned her first Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
#8: Dire Straits – Money for Nothing
iTunes stats: 19 plays
The group’s most successful single in the US, it spent three weeks atop the charts.
#7: Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World
iTunes stats: 20 plays
Later used as the theme song to Dennis Miller Live on HBO (before he lost his fucking mind), it spent two weeks in the top spot in June.
#4: Foreigner – I Want to Know What Love Is
iTunes stats: N/A
Foreigner’s first and only pop chart-topper hit #1 in February.
#3: Wham! – Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
iTunes stats: N/A
Ranked by VH1 as the 28th greatest song of the decade, it held the top spot of the Hot 100 for three weeks.
#2: Madonna – Like a Virgin
iTunes stats: N/A
The first single from her sophomore album, it became her first #1, spending six weeks at #1 at the end of 1984 and into January 1985.
#1: Wham! – Careless Whisper
iTunes stats: N/A
The group’s second straight #1 single spent three weeks atop the charts.